Artist and Union College junior Thomas Aung paints bold, vibrant portraits that exude thoughtfulness and reflection of both the subjects and their portraitist. Aung hails from Yangon, Myanmar, a city with a confluence of cultural, religious, and architectural heritages.

Aung’s paintings similarly reflect a somewhat discordant combination of brilliant hues and loose brushstrokes with somber and meditative poses and expressions. His backgrounds are full of texture, vibrancy, and sometimes include numbers and text. In some portraits, the background takes on life-like characteristics: covering a shoulder, masking an eye, conveying deeper connections between the artist and his subjects and imparting more information to the viewer.

In the words of the artist: “In a world where connecting with people is done virtually through phone screens, we gradually forget the importance of in-person relationships. This body of work aims to connect viewers with their own fragmented memories of the people that they are close with and to self-reflect on the importance of the relationships they created.”

There will be an opening reception on Tuesday, February 5th, from 5:00 – 6:00pm. Please join us for light refreshments and meet the artist. Free and open to the public.

The Wikoff Student Gallery is located on the third floor of the Nott Memorial, and is open daily from 10 am to 6 pm. All exhibitions and events are free and open to the public. For more information, please visit our website, http://muse.union.edu/mandeville/